Announcing apparatus



Aug. 8, 1933 J L. FRANKLIN 1,921,742

ANNOUNC ING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1933- J. L. FRANKLIN 1,921,742

ANNOUNC ING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 8, 1933.

J. L. FRANKLIN ANNOUNCING APPARATUS Filed Nov 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1933- J. L. FRANKLIN 1,921,742

ANNOUNC ING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 universal movement while it is in contact with- Fig. 9 is an edge view of the same.

' 45 automatically putinto operation.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 1i i i oni-Tran,sT-Aras PATE T.sforr cg f',-

1,921,142! A noUNorNG APPARATUS John Franklin, Atlanta, Ga.

7 Application Novenier19. 1931 Serial No..576,192

' ":9 claims; (01. rte- 100.4) I

This invention relates to improvements in an the novel features hereinafter described in detail, nouhcingapparatus, and the,primary object of illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention'isto provide an improved-mechamore particularly pointed out in the appended nism-which will makean announcement peclaims. l

riodically, the mechanismbeing time controlled In the drawings," g V so, that it willgstart and stopautomatically. Fig. 1 is anelevation of themainportion of Another object is to provide mechanism of this the apparatus when therecord is not in motion. 1 character, including a sound record andan Fig. 2 isa simi a V w While h Q d' s-ih 'amplifier, the electromagnetic pick-up or the motion. r a j Q 1o latter being shifted automatically while in ele- Fig.- 3 is anend View ofIthe mechanism shown '65 vetted-position for moving from one line or the in Figs; 1 and 2. p A: record to an adjacent line or the same. -,Due -.4 i a v rtical SeCtiOnaLvieW of adetail to the improved means which I employ, for-hold and showing, the means o d n t =D ing the pick-u'p-in elevated position, I can use up step by step-in onedirection,;and for returninexpensive recording means. of ,j the kind in ing it in' the opposite direction. a I r a a which the message or messages to be announced a Fig. 5 is'a'vertical sectional view showing the are recorded on strip material which may be roller of the main lever restingfon the notche placed onthe peripheryof a wheel or drum; the disk which forms partof the apparatus. ends of the strip forming a seam or gapwhich Fig. 6 is a detail view of one ofthe switches'of 1 20 may pass by; the needle of the piclcrup while-the the apparatus. v ,1 i latter isin elevated position. Fig.7 is a perspective view of-a portion of the A further object is to furnish a machine of dash pot Of the pick-up carriage. this kind in which the pick-up issupported by a V Fig. 8 is an elevation of one'side of the timing novelcarriage that permits the needle to have a switch the .record, and-yet which -liftsmand lowersthe Fig.v 10 isqan-ele'vation of the timing switch pick-up in such a way that the needle is placed 1 from the opposite side. f

in exactly theright position. I Fig. 11 is an elevation of a portion of themech A- still further object is to; provide improved anism for transferring. movement from the 30 means for returning the pick-up supportingcar minute wheelof the switch to the twenty-four riage to initia1'position after the machine has hour wheel of the switch. v a I been announcing over a definite period of time, Fig. 12 is a wiringdiagram of the apparatussuch means including an 'air cushion or dash pot The ,mechanism comprises [a main plate 5 10 for absorbing the shock when the carriage is rewhich is preferably formed ofmetaland vertical:

35 turned. I V l r I} V 1y arranged! Anelectric motor base 11 is secured w A further object is tofurnish improved driving to the supporting plate by any suitable means, means including a-pa'wl and ratchet actuated by such asscrews' l2, and the shaft of the motor 92, a. cam controlled lever, wherebyfas' the lever is by means of a belt 13, transmits movement to a lifted out of a notch on the cam, the pawl is pulley, 14 while the motor is running; Pulley 14 40 held out of engagement with the ratchet until: is fixed to ;a shaft 15 journaled in'braekets 16 v the-lever drops back into the notch. This opersupported by the plate, and the shaft has a worm ation simultaneously lifts the needle. ,off the I l'lthat drives aworm gear 18 fixed on a shaft 19 record and shifts the carriage so that the pick-up which extendsthmugh the plate. is ready to play a different line the next it is At the side of the plate opposite to. thattwhere Another objeot is to furnish a mechanism of; record, support 2Q,is fixed on the' shaft, and bet 1 thischaracter, including novel time controlled "tween this druin and the plate, a notched disk switches. which cooperate with an amplifieir'and or cam 21 is-ilked to the shaft. .Thenotched; motor in such manner as to cause the amplifier disk functions to raise andlowera lever'22 hav 1 5 to heat up to a desired degree before the motor ingone'of its ends 23 pivotally'connected to the 1 isactuated to drive theisound record holder. and plate byascrew or bolt 24.. The lever carries a lower the needle on to the record. grooved roller 25 whichrolls on the peripheryof I With the foregoing objects outlined and the notched disk, and it will be understoodthat.

other objects in view which will appear as the. when the disk is revolved, thelever will be elel-J .55 description proceeds, ,the invention consists in vated, and'then lowered the worm gear isarranged, a drum orwheel type An arm 26 projects upwardly from, and is carried by the lever,'and this arm is provided at its upper end with a block of insulation 2'? to which an angular electric contact member 28 is conanother spring pressed pawl 3 rotating in the opposite direction.

nected. This member cooperates with electric contacts 29, 30 and 31, supported on an insulated block 32 that is mounted on the plate it). The purpose of these contactswill be referred to later.

A pawl 33 is pivotally mounted on the arm and acts when the lever is lowered, to advance a ratchet wheel 34 one step in one direction; and which is pivotally mounted on the plate, prevents theratchet from The movement of the ratchet wheel 34 is used for feeding an electromagnetic piclz up 49 axially of the record holder, and for t purpose, a

spiral cam 37 is fixed to rotate'wah the ratchet wheel 34 on thesupperting axle 38, which is car-l ried by the plate 10. The cam cooperates with a pin 39 that is fixed to a carriage that is slidably mounted on the axle 33 and is prevented 7 from turning on said axle by any suitable spline.

At the outer-end of the car iage, Iarrange a cylinder 44 which will cooperate with the outer endof the axle to form a dash pet, whereby when the carriage is returned to initialposition by the coil springs, the dash pot will absorb the shock.

The electromagnetic pick-up is supportedbythe carriage in the following way. A clip 45.-is pivotally mounted on a shaft 45 carried by the carriage and arranged. parallel to the axle. A substantially vertically disposed pivotpin 47 connects the clip to a supporting member that car: ries the electromagnetic pick-up lewhi hhasa needle to. In order to move the electromagnetic pick-up toward and away irornth ecord holder, a lever .51 is also pivotally mount on the carriage, and one end of this lever slidably engaged by a pin 52 which is fixed to the arm of the main lever. The other arm of lever 51 is triangular in cross section,as shown; at 53 to provide a knife edge that engages a; similar shaped notch 54 in ajbracicet 55 which' is secured to the radio pick-up arm. This arrangement permits I theelectromagneticpick-up to shift, due to the travel of the needle in the grooves-of the record 57, and also permits the electromagnetic pickup to be raised and lowered and shifted for engagement with adjacent lines of the record. I

Due to the arrangement above described, the sound're'cord may be of relatively inexpensive material. It may be manufactured of any sheet of any record material, suchas alumi. or celluloid, because'it is unnecessary to have a continuous record. In other words, the record 57 may be: made of, strip material with its ends r cry of the record drum, and of course the mocha in p anchored as shown at'58 ina note nism is so timed that when the gap is'beneath the needle of the electromagnetic pick-up, the latter will be in raised position. v

1 In practice, of course, the recordmay be continuous, orof the intermittent variety, and the record may be revolved'one or more revolutions everyone or more minutesx' For example, in the mechanism disclosed, an announcement is made every five minutes, and this may be an announce-7 ment of the time, an advertisement or the like. With regard to the time control, it will be observed that'an electro-magnet 59 is connected by wiring 60 to any suitable clock-work switch, which will, by means of a battery 61 orthe like, interposed in the circuitthus formed, energize the electro-magnet every'minute. Consequently, each timev the magnet is energized," .it will pull down an armature 62 whichis pivotallymounted at 63 on an auxiliary supportingiplate 64 which may be carried bythe main supporting plate 10.

.Whenthe current is released, the armature will be raised by a coil spring 65 which has one of its ends connected to the armature and'its other endanchored to the auxiliary supporting plate.

Each time the armature is rocked, a pawl 66 at end engages a second ratchet wheel 67 and ad- .vances the same one step in one direction. Another pawl 63 prevents reverse rotation of this ratchet wheel, and these pawls' arepreferably connected bya coil spring 69. The shaft v'70 on 7 which the secondary ratchet wheel is fixed, extends through the auxiliary supporting plate and is fixed at its outer end to a pin wheel 71 which may have any'number of equally spaced project ing pins 72. In the present instance, there are twelve of-these pins, spaced for actuatingat five minute intervals, the insulated abutment '73 of the movable contact 74 of a switch which is supported in insulated manner from the auxiliary plate and has a stationary contact 75. The purpose of this switch will be hereinafter described. ;A notch 76 in the pin wheeljl cooperates with pins 77 ona twenty-four hourwheel'78 "i?or'ad'- van'cing the latter one step every hour. {In other words, each'time the pin Wheel 71 makes a complete revolution, it will turn the twentyfour hour pin wheel one step. The latter is prevented from accidentally shifting by a spring detent 79 which I is supported by the auxiliary plate and has a nose to extend between any two adjacentteeth of the twehty--fcur hour wheel. The latter is slog "ed tocontrol thehours during which the machine will operate. For example, it it is placed; in' a store, it may be desirable to have the machine make announcements between eight in the moming and six in theevening, and then toremain silent from then until the next morning at eight oclock. Therefore, the twenty-four-hour wheel switch. As long as one 6" "1 pins Bo is in 1 ca ill-.

engagement with thismain the nachine' will be in condition to make announcements, but f when such pins disengage the main switch, 'the latter will automatically open the control circuit.

Referring to the wiring diagram in Fig; 12;-

it will be noted that and 86 are the line wires, and that the wire 85 is connectedby a conductor 87 to the movable contact 82 of the master; switch which engages the stationary contact 8401 that switch whenever the twenty-four hour wheel '18-- is in position to close that switch. 4 Another wire 83connects'th'e wire 87 to the movable contact; 74 of the pin switch which'cooperates with the 7 -5, is joined by a wire 89 to an amplifier 90 that is operatively connected to the pick-up 49 and isralso joined'by a wire 91 to the linef85. It will therefore 'be understood that when the switch stationary conta'ct'75 of that switch. The contact 86, 87, 88, '14, '75, 89, 90, 91 and85 through theamplifier, and this will be done about one minuteprior to the time that the motor 92 is set in operation. As a result, the amplifier will be warmed up before the motor starts.

While the circuit is completed. through the amplifier, and one. minute after the completion of such circuit, the electro-magnet v59 will again attract the armature 62, and this will cause a movable contact 93 on that armature to engage a stationary contact 94, (seeFig; 10). It will be observed from the Wiring diagram that this stationary contact 94 is connected by a wire 95 to the contact '75, and consequently, when the contact 93 engages the contact 94, current will also fiow by means of wires 96 and 97 through the motor 92. This motor, if desired, may have a brake controlled by a solenoid 98 that may be interposed in the wire 97, whereby when the current flows through 96 and 9'7, the brake will be released and the motor can start. I

From Fig. 1 it will be observed that as soon as the motor starts, it rotates the disk 21 in the direction of the arrow, and this causes the disk to lift the lever 22, with the result that the movable contact 28-at the top of the arm 26 bridges the contacts 29, 30 and 31 which are also shown in the wiring diagram. The contact .29 is connected by a wire 99 to the amplifier, and they contact 31 is connected by a wire 100 to the wire 96. Therefore, as soon as the'switch 28, 29, 30, 31 is closed, the circuitwill be completed through the amplifier, and through the motor, even though the contacts 74, 75 and 93, 94 are separated, due

' to movement of the switch mechanism illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive.- Obviously, the running of the motor causes the disk 21, as well as the record drum 20 to complete a revolution while the needle of the pick-up is resting on the record. As soon, however, as the wheel 25 of th'e main lever again reaches the notch of the disk 21,-

in Fig. 1, of course, the, electro-magnet 58of Figs. 8 to 11 will continue to operate each minute, but the motor and amplifier will only be brought into operation every'five minutes, or as the succeedingpins '72of the minute wheel 71 come into engagement with the block of the switch '74, '75.

1 While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment'of the invention in such manner that it maybe readily understood bythose skilled in the art, it is manifest'that changes may be made in the details disclosed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in theclaims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i 1.v An announcing apparatus including a movable sound record, an electromagnetic pick-up having a needle adapted to intermittently engage said sound record, an arnplifier operatively connected with the pick-up, an electric motor for moving said record and for controlling the :enga'gernent of the pick-up needle with'th'e record,

and time controlled electrical means ror inter.

mittently energizing the amplifier and motofsuccessively, whereby the amplifier is warmed up before the motor is actuated. 1

announcing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, including a carriage for the pick-upmov able along the record, and universally movable means connecting the pick-up tosaid carriage.v 3 An announcing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, comprising a carriage movable along the I record, an arm pivotally mounted on the carriage and carrying the pick-up, anda support for said arm, said arm being rockably supported by the support-.

k claim 1, comprising a'cam operatively'connected to the motor and intermittently driven by the latter, a carriage movable along therecord and actuated step by step by said cam, and a sup-V port for the pick-up carried by said carriage.

5. An announcing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, comprising a cam operatively connected with the motor'and intermittently driven by'the latter, a ,carriagemoved step by step by. said cam, a support for the pick-up mountedon the carriage, means for moving the carriage toward the cam after thejcarriage has been moved a predetermined distance along the record, and a dash pot for absorbing the shockof the move-' ment, of the carriage toward the cam.

6. Announcing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, including a carriage for the pick-up, means including a ratchet wheel for feeding the carconnected to and driven by the motor, a lever vriage step by step, a notched disk operatively reciprocated by the notched disk, and a pawl'actuatedby the lever and engageable withsaid ratchet wheel. f f '7; Announcing mechanism of the kind claimed in claimi, including a time controlled electro magnet, anarmature actuated-bythe. magnet,

a minute wheel operatively connected to and actuated step by step by the armature, aminute switch actuated by theminute wheel and operatively connected electrically to the amplifier, a

second switch actuated by the armature and" electrically connected to the motor, an electric .cir- I cuit in whichthe switches, motor aridfamplifier are interposed, a"lev'er operatively connected to 9. Announcing mechanism as claimed in claim i40 I 1, including a time controlled electro-magnet, an armature actuated bythe magnet, a switch controlled-by the armature, and an electriccircuit in which the switch and motor are interposed.

' JOHN L. p 

